Recent Advances in Luminescent Carbon Nanomaterials

Dear Colleagues,

Luminescent carbon nanomaterials have emerged as a rapidly expanding class of functional materials with unique optical properties and significant potential in a wide range of technological applications. Carbon-based nanostructures such as carbon dots, graphene quantum dots, nanodiamonds, and other nanoscale carbon architectures exhibit tunable photoluminescence, excellent chemical stability, low toxicity, and versatile surface chemistry. These characteristics make them highly attractive for applications in optoelectronics, sensing, bioimaging, photocatalysis, and energy-related technologies.

In the context of energy-related applications, luminescent carbon nanomaterials have shown promising potential in areas such as light harvesting, photocatalytic hydrogen production, solar energy conversion, and energy storage systems. Their tunable optical absorption and emission, coupled with high photostability and efficient charge transfer properties, enable their use as active or supporting components in next-generation energy devices.

In recent years, significant progress has been achieved in the synthesis and surface engineering of luminescent carbon nanomaterials, enabling improved control over particle size, structure, emission wavelength, and quantum efficiency. Advanced spectroscopic techniques and theoretical studies have also provided important insights into their photophysical mechanisms, including the roles of surface states, defects, and quantum confinement effects. In parallel, emerging approaches based on machine learning (ML) and data-driven methods are increasingly being explored to guide the design, optimization, and property prediction of carbon-based luminescent nanomaterials.

This Special Issue, entitled “Recent Advances in Luminescent Carbon Nanomaterials”, aims to highlight recent progress in the design, synthesis, characterization, and applications of luminescent carbon-based nanomaterials, including both fundamental aspects and emerging technological applications.

Recommended topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

Synthesis and engineering of luminescent carbon nanomaterials

• Carbon dots and graphene quantum dots.
• Nanodiamonds and other luminescent carbon nanostructures.

Photophysical and optical properties

• Photoluminescence mechanisms.
• Surface states and defect engineering.

Functionalization and hybrid systems

• Carbon nanomaterials in hybrid or composite systems.
• Doped carbon nanomaterials.

Emerging approaches

• Machine learning and data-driven design of luminescent carbon nanomaterials.

Applications

• Optical sensing and biosensing.
• Bioimaging and biomedical applications.
• Photocatalysis and environmental remediation.
• Optoelectronic devices and light-emitting systems.
• Energy-related applications (e.g., photovoltaics, hydrogen production, and energy storage).
• Anticounterfeiting and information encryption.

Dr. Chiara Olla
Prof. Dr. Carlo Maria Carbonaro
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• luminescent carbon nanomaterials
• carbon dots
• graphene quantum dots
• photoluminescence
• surface engineering
• defect engineering
• bioimaging
• optical sensing
• photocatalysis
• optoelectronic devices
• energy applications
• machine learning